How much does grunting bother you?

I've never played against anyone whose grunting bothered me. But there is this guy at my club whom you can hear from across the complex. I've seen him. He makes the same obnoxious noise on every shot....including slices and drop shots. The guy needs a good talking to.

I've honestly ever played only ONE grunter, and he was totally doing it for gamesmanship. His grunts would come long after the ball left his racquet and as it was about to encounter yours. I called him on his dooshbaggery and he did stop after I told him I was going to claim hindrance.

I have only played one fellow that noticeably grunted. No one like playing with him because every single shot was accompanied with blood curdling scream like grunts.

However, one day I agreed to play a social match against "herb". He stops his service motion mid toss to yell at me for distracting him. He is upset because as he was getting ready to toss I was spinning my racket in my hands. Flabbergasted, I simply walked off that court and found another group for doubles.

I've always liked the fact that sports provides a platform to imitate life with offering the challenges of perseverance over obstacles, and the ability to fight against all odds.

I come from a background of more "aggressive" sports where trash talk and purposeful distractions are all part of the game (Hoop, Football). I love tennis, but hate the "country club" etiquette that always painted it as a "wimp" sport in the eyes of other athletes.

If a player can't get over some noise and distractions, a player is weak...end of sentence. I regularly play with a good group of 4.0-5.0's in a city park with dogs barking, skaters, helicopters above, sirens, bums, etc, etc....focus and block it out...you can always tell when a country clubber stops by...they leave frustrated and on the tail end of a straight set beat down.

Trust me, me and my buddies respect the "tradition" of etiquette, but some of the most fun matches we play is amongst good friends when "trash talk" is not only allowed, but encouraged.

Yeah, but you also wear your baseball cap sideways, your short's down showing your buttcrack, you wear converse black allstars, you have multiple tattoos all over your body, and you drive a low rider....

Grunting is bad enough, but what's more distracting is when a player says almost nothing on her good shots, then goes "OH", or "NO", when she hits a ball that is not what she meant to hit.

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We have a guy like that yelling "Noooo" that can be heard from 3 courts over and I did give him a tell about it.

I've also had an "Yes" and "No" guy during a match last year and that was the only time I've lost to that person (I think that he got the mental edge, b/c everything seemed to be about him). Disclaimer: the bad balls were a bigger factor, b/c after about 40 minutes of play ( plus a very long warmup) I couldn't hit winners with them anymore, they were dead...The next few times I've brought new balls (Slazengers and it was a masacre).

he was totally doing it for gamesmanship. His grunts would come long after the ball left his racquet and as it was about to encounter yours. ... I was going to claim hindrance.

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Exactly my point. That girl admitted that she was trying to accompany even her soft shots (on short balls) with shrieks, "encouraging" them to be winners ....

Now as I've lost almost all my hearing in my right ear during military service, I hesitate even more in a situation like that ( same when someone says something and I can't hear well; I basically stop to listen).

I've always liked the fact that sports provides a platform to imitate life with offering the challenges of perseverance over obstacles, and the ability to fight against all odds.

I come from a background of more "aggressive" sports where trash talk and purposeful distractions are all part of the game (Hoop, Football). I love tennis, but hate the "country club" etiquette that always painted it as a "wimp" sport in the eyes of other athletes.

If a player can't get over some noise and distractions, a player is weak...end of sentence. I regularly play with a good group of 4.0-5.0's in a city park with dogs barking, skaters, helicopters above, sirens, bums, etc, etc....focus and block it out...you can always tell when a country clubber stops by...they leave frustrated and on the tail end of a straight set beat down.

Trust me, me and my buddies respect the "tradition" of etiquette, but some of the most fun matches we play is amongst good friends when "trash talk" is not only allowed, but encouraged.

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This is a great response. I think the issue is that people develop neuroses after being lulled for years by the etiquette. So the gamesmanship catches them off guard.

I still think it is a tightrope, though. Toying with your opponent's mental fragility is one thing, but it's been my experience that those that employ these methods to gain a competitive advantage also tend to not be the most honest line-callers.

I hate grunting.. it's cheating, it's disrespectful and it very unattractive. I hate the fact that all of the little girls are taught to mimic their professional heroes and scream "COME ON!!!!! like little idiots, while pumping their fist, exactly mimicking Serena.

I despise the football like mentality of the spectators and parents who argue over every call and try to out do each other by seeing who could scream the loudest. I hate the coaches who do the same thing during a match. My daughter hates all of it to. The only thing I like about junior girls tennis is watching my daughter play with class and kick the little primidona's asses.

Tennis used to attract a higher caliber of person. Now it's just another sport full of buffoons.

Having said all of that, I completely understand that the above descriptions apply to only a small percentage of players and spectators but it's enough to ruin an otherwise great time.

This is a great response. I think the issue is that people develop neuroses after being lulled for years by the etiquette. So the gamesmanship catches them off guard.

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Unfortunately the response you think is great is the problem. The mentally of the sport has been lowered to football like levels. How can that be a good thing? It's embarrassing. I believe it's a result of a dumbed down educational system along with poor parenting.

The "country club" etiquette that you and he despise is what made it a respectful sport because educated and accomplished people understand decorum. Football fans haven't advanced beyond the neanderthal stage. We need more respect, more decorum and more basic commonsense. Keep your beer hats to yourselves.

Unfortunately the response you think is great is the problem. The mentally of the sport has been lowered to football like levels. How can that be a good thing? It's embarrassing. I believe it's a result of a dumbed down educational system along with poor parenting.

The "country club" etiquette that you and he despise is what made it a respectful sport because educated and accomplished people understand decorum. Football fans haven't advanced beyond the neanderthal stage. We need more respect, more decorum and more basic commonsense. Keep your beer hats to yourselves.

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Is this satire or are you really that big of an elitist *****?

Tennis is for everyone, smart or dumb, wealthy or poor, quiet or loud. Plus, when I'm on the court I put water in my beer hat. It really helps me stay hydrated late into the third set.

Unfortunately the response you think is great is the problem. The mentally of the sport has been lowered to football like levels. How can that be a good thing? It's embarrassing. I believe it's a result of a dumbed down educational system along with poor parenting.

The "country club" etiquette that you and he despise is what made it a respectful sport because educated and accomplished people understand decorum. Football fans haven't advanced beyond the neanderthal stage. We need more respect, more decorum and more basic commonsense. Keep your beer hats to yourselves.

Man in chess is even considered gamemanship if you slap pieces down, on the board etc. Or if you pick your nose or make any kind of noise that might disturb your opponent's thinking/focus.

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I don't normally perform any unsavory acts like that during chess. Because I'm educated and accomplished I understand decorum and etiquette. I only yell 'Come On' with a fist pump any time I take a pawn.

There is no reason for grunting. It is merely a bad habit and disrupts others as they play. There should be a warning given and then if the player continues doing it "loudly" then he should be asked to leave the courts ( if playing at a club). IMHO.

There is no reason for grunting. It is merely a bad habit and disrupts others as they play. There should be a warning given and then if the player continues doing it "loudly" then he should be asked to leave the courts ( if playing at a club). IMHO.

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Hi Mike,

Great to see you here. I hope the older players understand this.. . As I get older, I do seem to grunt a bit more than I ever did. It has nothing to do with gamesmanship.. etc. The grunting I seem to make is that same sound your dad or granddad makes when he is getting out of a chair after sitting for a while.. LOL. A few weeks back someone commented that they had never heard me grunt before.. I said.. I was never this old, beat-up or in this much pain before. Give us older folks a break. Yes.. the teaching pros are teaching grunting these days.

The couple of grunters I've played against have been hilarious but annoying at the same time. They grunt when they have finished their swing and the ball is approximately above the net.
Ridiculous. After a while you do get used to it and it stops being a distraction. Still a very cynical tactic.

There is no reason for grunting. It is merely a bad habit and disrupts others as they play. There should be a warning given and then if the player continues doing it "loudly" then he should be asked to leave the courts ( if playing at a club). IMHO.

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Clubs like that do exist. Although if you want to join one you might want to stock up on collared white shirts and take out a second mortgage on the house to cover initiation fees.

There is no reason for grunting. It is merely a bad habit and disrupts others as they play.

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That is simply an inaccurate statement. Grunting helps tighten the core and provides additionally stability and strength for when it is needed. There is a reason you see grunting in just about every sport except synchronized swimming. If you are completely opposed to grunting maybe that is the sport you should try.

I grunt, well I use to grunt. I tried something different last night; I just exhauled. No noise, just breathing out when I make contact with the ball. I found I was much more relaxed and not as tense I was when grunting.

This is a great response. I think the issue is that people develop neuroses after being lulled for years by the etiquette. So the gamesmanship catches them off guard.

I still think it is a tightrope, though. Toying with your opponent's mental fragility is one thing, but it's been my experience that those that employ these methods to gain a competitive advantage also tend to not be the most honest line-callers.

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Yeah...for me it is NEVER cheating or gamesmanship...in a real match it is simply effort and not giving a crap what I look or sound like...it's getting that fuzzy ******* back over the net and putting it away!

Unfortunately the response you think is great is the problem. ? It's embarrassing. I believe it's a result of a dumbed down educational system along with poor parenting.

The "country club" etiquette that you and he despise is what made it a respectful sport because educated and accomplished people understand decorum. Football fans haven't advanced beyond the neanderthal stage. We need more respect, more decorum and more basic commonsense. Keep your beer hats to yourselves.

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The "etiquette" came out of it being a SPORT OF LEISURE played by rich privileged elite, who wore PANTS FOR CHRIST SAKE!

"The mentally of the sport has been lowered to football like levels. How can that be a good thing"...are you for real.....again, I LOVE tennis, I can take or leave football...but trust me, I've played both and TENNIS ISN'T EVEN CLOSE!

The point was STOP WHINING...the only embarrassing thing about tennis is everyone assuming you're an uptight little twit if you play...it's as annoying as someone like you stereotyping football players as "neanderthals" when I can quickly rip off the names of 10 former Basketball and Football Playing Congressmen, Presidents, business leaders, Doctors, Lawyers, Etc....but I struggle to do the same with former high level tennis players. Stay in your little sheltered country club world..it makes the world less scary.

I find grunting so super annoying in person and even more on tv. I don't get it. I dont think hitting a tennis ball is an extreme physical exertion which requires grunting. The golf swing is like a tennis stroke in many aspects - do you hear golfers grunting?

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I strongly disagree with this comment. You must not be above a 4.0.

If golfers had to run back and forth and hit a ball fully stretches with split second reactions I can assure you they would be some that would grunt

If golfers had to run back and forth and hit a ball fully stretches with split second reactions I can assure you they would be some that would grunt

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Exactly....I certainly don't wanna be on a court with someone whose groundies are as easy and relaxed as a golf swing? If my shirt isn't soaked with sweat after a match then the tennis sucked, on the other hand if my shirt is soaked with sweat after golf I have a medical condition! LOL.

I find grunting so super annoying in person and even more on tv. I don't get it. I dont think hitting a tennis ball is an extreme physical exertion which requires grunting. The golf swing is like a tennis stroke in many aspects - do you hear golfers grunting?

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Good point, Tanas. Historically, it was never a part of the game until Sharapova. Now, we see it a lot. What irks me is the added emphasis on forcing shots. Of course someone could say that this is just because of the added effort, but I think that in many cases the intent is to put an exclamation point on what would already be a fine shot.

huh? Total BS. I take it you never watched tennis before Sharapova then. Anybody who watched tennis a decade before Sharapova ever showed up could instantly identify Monica Seles by her signature grunting.